Process of bleaching nuts.



,PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HILLS, JR., OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY PROCESS OF .BLEACHING mrrs.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1 Application filed April 20, 1908.: seam No. 428,2 2.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM 'HILLS, Jr., of East Orange, State of New'Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Bleaching Nuts, the following is thereof.

The object of my invention has been to devise a process of bleaching nuts, and particularly walnuts, which process can successfully be used to bleach the shells of the nuts without injuring their meats; and to such ends my invention consists inthe process of bleaching hereinafter specified.

While my invention is capable of application with other nuts, its application to the bleaching of walnuts. Walnuts frequently have dark-colored shells, and when thus colored are lessattractive and sell for a less a full and exact description price than when light-colored,

and this notwithstanding many dark-colored walnuts have richer meats than do light-colored ones.- It is impossible, as I have found by experiment, to bleach the nuts by dipping them in a bleachin solution, because the fluid will enter within the shell through the cracks which almost invariably exist between the halves of the shell and will injure the meats. I have discovered that I can moisten a granular material with the bleaching solution and thus apply it to the shells of the nuts without having a sufficient quantity present so that the liquid can enter within the shells and injure the meats.

Obviouslythere aremany fibrous or granular materials which can be moistened with the bleaching solution, which will serve for the purpose. The material which I prefer to use is saw-dust. It is also obvious there aremany bleaching solutions which could I be used for the in the county of Essex and and do hereby declare that h I will illustrate it by purpose. The solution which I prefer to use'is an aqueous solution of oxalic acid.

Specifically, I dissolve from 6 to 10 ounces of oxalic acid crystals in about 6 quarts of ot water, and with this quantity moisten about 100 pounds of saw-dust. The saw-dust and walnuts are then preferably placedin a tumbler and the tumbler causes the sawdust to rub over-the surfaces of the nuts so that a thoroughly desirable bleaching is produced. Although the saw-dust holds sufli cient of the solution to effect the bleaching, I find that none ofth'e solution enters within the shells and the meats are not injured by the process. The strength of the solution is varied according to the amount of bleaching which the nuts require. After the nuts are bleached, they may be conveniently separated from the saw-dust by letting the mixture run down over a screen.

I claim 1. The process of bleaching nuts, which consists in tumblin the nuts with a granular material so moistened with a bleaching agent as to avoid the presence in the tumbling barrel of any free liquid, and then drying the nuts.

2. The process of bleaching nuts, which consists in tumbling the nuts with sawdust so mbistened with a solution of oxalic acid as to avoid the presence in the tumbling barrel of any free liquid, and then drying the nuts.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLi-AM HILLS, JR.

Witnesses:

J AS. W. MCGLONE, J osEPH OHISHQLM. 

